Preston Pool Goes Solar

As part of WKU’s ESPC, a solar thermal array has been installed on the Preston Health
and Activities Center roof that will use the sun’s radiant energy to heat the swimming
pool. Eighty-eight solar thermal collectors have been installed. Each collector contains
3.7 gallons of fluid that will transfer heat from the sun to the pool water in a heat
exchanger, keeping the pool a consistent 80-83 degrees Fahrenheit.

The collectors are expected to perform 10 months per year, as measured by Solar British
Thermal Unit (BTU) output. BTU output calculations are estimates based on low wind
conditions and historical averages of daytime air temperatures and solar insulation
levels for our region.

WKU is guaranteed to save at least $10,963 annually by reducing the amount of natural
gas required for heating as a result of this installation. With an initial project
investment of $96,410, these annual savings result in a project payback of 8.8 years.

The collectors are manufactured by Heliocol and are distributed and installed by SunQuest Energy, LLC. The same collectors were used to heat the swimming pool facilities for the Summer
Olympic Games in 1996 Atlanta and 2004 Athens.